Night Dreamers
by samurai nagisa hanazono
Summary: Continues the story of what happened after the Etoile competition. A "Truth or Dare" tea party in Shizuma and Miyuki's room turns dramatic. Shizuma struggles with Nagisa's hesitancy to move forward in their sexual relationship (because of her past with Kaori). Meanwhile, some scary events occur around the Ichigo Dorms. Kaname and Momomi seem to be involved in some dark dealings.
1. Chapter 1: Truth or Dare?

Exactly one week had passed since the Etoile elections took place, in which Amane and Hikari were chosen to be Etoile. It was a frigid winter evening, and the Miator side of the Ichigo Dorms was so quiet that it almost seemed as if sound was being insulated by the snow. Students were tucked away in their rooms, which were much warmer than the drafty hallways of the dorms. That night, Aoi Nagisa had suggested a group of friends get together so they could wind down after a rigorous week of final studies. Shifting the usual tradition, Shizuma offered to have everyone meet in her and Miyuki's room.

The friends arrived, a few at a time, until there was a small group of Astrea Hill's finest students. The snow outside continued to accumulate around the windows' edges. Gusts of wind whistled through and shook the glass. Outside, the tall lamps around the campus appeared frosted over, and small amounts of smoke issued from the Main Hall's chimney—the last of its warmth dwindling. Miyuki plugged in her electric teapot. When it began to whistle, Tamao removed the pot from its hotplate and served everyone a cup of hot water, along with a variety of tea canisters to choose from. Nagisa had placed chocolate cornets, to share, on Shizuma's desk. Everyone sipped their tea, at first without a word. There was a stillness in the room only interrupted from time to time by the vibration of windows and sounds of sipping.

Perhaps spending the day walking to classes in the cold air had made them drowsy, but more than likely their minds were preoccupied with the events that took place during the Etoile election, especially Shizuma suddenly declaring her love for Nagisa in front of Tamao and the entire school. The memories of Shizuma snatching away Nagisa and running away with her into the late hours of the evening remained as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. The image of Amane dancing with Hikari and afterwards carrying the blonde woman in her arms had been breathtaking. Yes, these things remained at the forefront of the minds of every girl in the room. Furthermore, this had been the first time Shizuma and Miyuki joined one of the private tea parties. It was also the first time the tea party had been relocated to a room besides Nagisa and Tamao's.

Then, the silence was broken, by none other than Tsubomi. "What should we do?" she asked. She was having difficulties sitting still.

"How about Truth or Dare?" Yaya suggested with a smirk.

Because no one protested right away, and they continued to sip lazily at their tea, Yaya understood this to be an agreement. She removed an empty glass bottle from her messenger bag, placed it on the carpet, and gave it a spin. Everyone's eyes followed the few rotations of the bottle, and then it stopped in front of Miator's beloved student council president: Miyuki.

Yaya wrung her hands with delight. "Okay. Rokujo-san, truth or dare?"

Miyuki shook herself from her daze. "You're serious?"

Yaya nodded. She was absolutely serious.

"Fine—Truth," Miyuki said, rolling her eyes.

"Have you ever had sex before?" Yaya immediately fired off. Now the room was beginning to liven up.

"That-" Miyuki hesitated, and looked at Shizuma, hoping she would object to such a question that might embarrass her friend. But Shizuma, like the others, looked at Miyuki with rapt attention.

"Yes." Miyuki admitted, folding her arms and looking away. "One time."

"Wow!" Nagisa blurted out, a little too loudly. She clapped her hands over her mouth.

The other girls also look surprised by Miyuki's answer. Shizuma was sitting on her own bed, smirking, with one hand resting on the corner post.

Yaya probed further, "With who, Rokujo-san?"

Miyuki shook her head, "No. No follow-up questions in Truth or Dare."

Yaya pouted in extreme disappointment at the woman's rejection.

"Miyuki would know the rules," Shizuma piped up, with a wink.

Ignoring her silver-haired friend, Miyuki sat up straight, "Anyway, it's my turn." She was not a fan of the game, but she spun the bottle anyway. It spun around in circles, and Nagisa's eyes locked on the little Pikachu graphic as it turned into a blur. _So does this mean Yaya-chan likes Pokémon?_ she wondered. Then, the spinning ended, with the bottle pointing at Chikaru.

"Chikaru," Miyuki said, "Truth or Dare?"


	2. Chapter 2: In Full Detail

**Chapter 2: In Full Detail**

Chikaru perked up, pumped and determined to do her best at her first game of Truth or Dare.

"Dare!" Chikaru said. And, why would she choose anything else?

Everyone leaned in to hear Miyuki's challenge. Miyuki wasn't very adventurous or daring. She found such behavior to be illogical and otherwise disruptive to her purpose in life: _to keep everything orderly_. From across the room, Amane's face suggested that she also did not agree with dares. But, Chikaru was waiting with bated breath. Miyuki thoughtfully put a finger to her chin and looked around the room. _Hmm_ , she thought, _What's something that's not too ridiculous or dangerous?_ And then-

"Okay," Miyuki began, "Chikaru, pose like you would if you were an Etoile."

Chikaru chuckled, "Are you sure? Didn't we want to keep this PG13?"

With that, Yaya threw her head back and started laughing. Tsubomi was also amused. "This is going to be great!"

Now Miyuki was regretting her decision.

Chikaru stood up and promptly walked over to Shizuma's laptop. She scrolled through a list of music-to-stream and chose the cheesiest song she could find, then began performing what appeared to be a strip tease. She twirled her hips and began to untie the ribbon at the top of her cream-colored blouse.

"Okay, that's fine! You've completed the task!" Miyuki called out, waving her hands.

Chikaru ended the frivolous dance, but by now Yaya and Tsubomi were lying on their backs howling with laughter. Shizuma, who managed to keep her laughter hushed, was still giggling so hard behind her hand that her eyes were watering. Amane was looking away, embarrassed. Nagisa, Tamao, and Hikari all looked befuddled.

"Right!" Chikaru returned to her seated position on the floor and grabbed the empty _Ramune_ bottle to give it a spin. The marble clattered around inside, keeping the girls in suspense, then it stopped, pointing closest to Nagisa.

Chikaru's eyes narrowed in sudden concentration. She rubbed her hands together. It was as if she was playing detective again for her Cosplay Club. If Nagisa chose Dare, she wanted to choose the best possible task for Nagisa to perform. And, if she chose Truth, she wanted to be sure to ask a question that would yield all the information she wanted. Nagisa blinked, not knowing what to expect.

"Nagisa, it has come to this!" Chikaru said dramatically, "Truth or Dare?"

Nagisa swallowed and looked around the room at her friends. The room was dark, and the only light visible came from the faint glow of the tiny lamp sitting on the low tea-table.

Nagisa cleared her throat. "Truth."

Chikaru was on the brink of squealing.

"Yes!" Chikaru's eyes darkened. "So, tell me, in full detail-on the night that you and Tamao-san accepted the invitation to run for Etoile, what did you do together to celebrate?"

The friends' eyes widened. Nagisa played with the hem of her dress.

Tsubomi interrupted "Oh! What a pervert you are, Chikaru-san!" Yet, she too was curious. Chikaru folded her arms in response, "And how is it perverted? How do you know they didn't just have a tea party? What are _you_ imagining, Tsubomi?"

At this, Tsubomi shrunk back, picked up a small teapot and began to nervously swirl the loose tea leaves around.

Nagisa took a deep breath. "The answer-would be..."

Chikaru bit her finger in anticipation.

"...In full detail, huh?" Nagisa asked.

Chikaru nodded.

Nagisa spluttered, "Well-I mean-we did come back to our room, and we had tea and those little checkerboard cookies, and it was delicious. Then we got ready for bed by putting on our pajamas."

Shizuma looked relieved- _so, that's all they did! Whew._

Chikaru tapped a finger on her cheek, deep in thought. She was trying to imagine some nice cosplay outfits for reenacting this scene.

Nagisa continued, trying to steady her voice. "Then-" she looked at Tamao-chan for help, but Tamao was looking down in an attempt to hide how red her face was. "-Then Tamao-chan put her arms around me from behind, and she kissed my ear-and, um, next she sat on my bed, then I sat in her lap and..." Nagisa began to talk faster, "...she fondled my...breasts, and we French-kissed for a long time. We went to sleep holding hands-"

From across the room, Nagisa could see Shizuma as fuming.

"-And nothing else!" Nagisa added quickly, catching her breath.

In that moment, Shizuma suddenly shot up from her sitting position on the bed and pointed angrily- "Suzumi Tamao! What is the meaning of this?!"

Tamao stood up just as quickly, and to everyone's surprise she shot back, "You told Nagisa-chan to forget about you, Shizuma-sama. You didn't want her anymore. Well, I did, and I still do!" Tamao took a couple brave steps toward Shizuma, "Nagisa needed someone who knew how to touch her—and not hurt her!"

With that, Shizuma started toward the dark-haired girl, but Miyuki grabbed her by the wrist. Likewise, Nagisa was tugging on Tamao's sleeve, urging her to sit back down. Chikaru was feeling a little guilty and looked sheepish. On the other hand, Tsubomi looked excited and ready to cheer on a fight. Yaya promptly smacked her on the back of the head- "Baka!"

Miyuki spoke up over the commotion, "I think that's enough Truth or Dare for one night!"

Taking Miyuki's cue, the girls began to gather their belongings and quietly filter out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3: A Strange Place

**Chapter 3: A Strange Place**

"Nagisa" The voice came from Shizuma.

Nagisa had not yet stood up from her seated position on the floor. She had been looking down at the table, still embarrassed, her fingers tightly grasping the handle of her teacup. She got up and went over to Shizuma, who took her by the hand with surprising gentleness. Tamao was watching from the doorway, but as soon as she noticed Nagisa placing a hand on Shizuma's cheek, she stormed off.

"Let's go for a walk," Shizuma suggested, "In the hallways. It's too cold outside." Shizuma noted the snow still accumulating on the windows.

Once they made their way down the hall a good distance from any prying eyes, Shizuma spoke, "She's right, you know. I just didn't want to hear about it."

Nagisa looked sad, but Shizuma continued, "I hurt you each time we tried to make love, and that's why you asked me to wait before we try again."

Although it was a difficult decision for Nagisa to make, she knew it was for the best.

Shizuma sighed sadly. All she wanted was to be able to take that next step and feel every part of Nagisa coming into contact with her own being. But, after she snatched Nagisa from the Etoile competition, and the two hugged and kissed, Nagisa insisted that it would be the best thing for both of them to "wait, until we're sure that we're both ready." But, Shizuma had insisted she was indeed, ready.

Nagisa remembered what Shizuma had told her that day after the Etoile competition. "Please, don't take lightly the love I declare for you. Nagisa. That name…I love only Nagisa. I am no longer chained to my past. I have made peace with it."

* * *

Miyuki had been propped up in her bed reading one of Shizuma's philosophy books when she heard the door open. She briefly peered over the top of the book to greet Shizuma. "Welcome back."

Shizuma flopped down on her bed and ignored the greeting. Instead, she only whined, "Nagisa is making me wait!"

Not paying much attention to her friend's usual mood swings, Miyuki flipped through a few more pages of the book by a French author. She was just as befuddled by the content of the book as she had been at the beginning. All she could gather was that the writer was having an identity crisis. "Wait for what, Shizuma?"

Shizuma's arms were folded and her cheeks were a little rosy. With a full pout she replied, "Making me wait to have sex."

Miyuki began to chuckle. "Is that so?"

"It's not funny, Miyuki. It might kill me."

Placing the book on her comforter, Miyuki swung her legs over the side of the bed, "No one's died of that, Shizuma."

But the platinum-haired woman appeared unconvinced.

"Besides," Miyuki continued, "You can't blame her. If I recall correctly—your words—every time you tried to make love to her, you saw Kaori and started wigging out."

Shizuma sighed and propped her head on her hands, "But I'm passed that. It took me a lot of time to release myself from the past so I could love again, but now I know, I love Nagisa. I have never been so sure or loved so strongly." Shizuma's green eyes sparkled in the dim light of the room, and her features revealed a certainty that let Miyuki know her love for Nagisa was true.

"But, Shizuma, it took you rushing things and hurting her to come to that realization, and now she's asking you to slow down."

* * *

The next morning, Nagisa met Miyuki for coffee at a new cafe that was open, not far from Amane's stables. Where the cafe had come from was not clear, but Miyuki had passed it on a walk the previous day.

When Miyuki arrived at the cafe, Nagisa stood up from her table to show respect. Although Miyuki and Shizuma were graduating this term, it was hard to think of them as anything else but Etoile and student council president. Miyuki, tall and stern as ever, walked over to the other side of the table. She pulled out the petite wooden chair and it screeched along the tile floor. Nagisa looked nervous. _Rokujo-sama must be an example of what they mean by tall, dark, and handsome,_ she thought. Then, her mind wandered and she imagined Miyuki in an Armani advertisement wearing an impressive suit and tie with sunglasses.

"Uh…Nagisa?"

"—Yes!" Nagisa exclaimed. "I mean. Yes. You asked me to meet you hear, Rokujo-sama."

"Right," Miyuki said, "First, let's order."

The two women walked over to the counter. To their surprise, none other than Momomi Kiyashiki appeared.

Slipping behind the counter, she grumbled, "What do you two want?"

Nagisa made a face.

Miyuki already knew what she wanted and ordered a black coffee with sugar. "That sounds really bitter," Nagisa commented. "Hmm…" Miyuki said. Then, Nagisa looked up at the menu and pondered her decision, "I could get the cappuccino, but that contains a lot of dairy. And, I could get it with soy milk, but the thing is that soy milk doesn't create a foam in the same way that dairy milk does. On the other hand, a regular coffee with almond milk might be nice. But, then there's always the latte, and since that has less foam to worry about than a cappuccino-"

Miyuki cracked a smile, "You're really something."

Nagisa blushed, "Sorry! It's hard for me to make a decision sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Miyuki asked, still smiling.

"I'll have the latte with soy milk instead of dairy!" Nagisa told Momomi quickly.

After they paid for their coffees, Miyuki and Nagisa sat back down at their table.

Miyuki sat with her hands over her cup, feeling the warm steam rise from the rim. "I wanted to meet you here so I could apologize," Miyuki paused and then continued, "I want to apologize for forcing you to run for Etoile. I thought it would be good for you and Miator, but I watched the hurt you were experiencing because of your love for Shizuma, and it wasn't the right thing for me to do."

Intense emotions washed over Nagisa once again, but to manage them she tried to focus her eyes on her cup, and then played with the cream swirl on top of her coffee. "Thank you, Rokujo-sama," she managed.

Miyuki was trying to study Nagisa's face, but couldn't get a good read on her. "Do you forgive me?" she asked.

Nagisa looked up and replied, "I forgive you." Then her gaze wandered to the window. It was a sunny day and some of the snow had melted, leaving a sparkling appearance. Even as it was still difficult to let go of the intense pain she had felt only a week ago, Miyuki's apology and the appearance of some of the snow melting gave Nagisa a sense of hope. Her friendship with Tamao was strained now, but maybe their friendship would see Spring once again. She even held out hope that one day Tamao-chan would meet her own special someone. Nagisa knew that even the smallest actions could make a difference, and that was why, sitting here, she couldn't bring herself to hold anything against Miyuki—as long as Miyuki didn't attempt something like that again.

"Rokujo-sama? Where did this café place come from?" Nagisa asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know," Miyuki answered, "I noticed it when I went for a walk during lunch time yesterday. This building used to belong to the stables. Since then, it has been abandoned and locked up."

Nagisa leaned forward, "An even bigger question," she whispered, "is who put Momomi-san in charge of customer service?"

Miyuki chuckled. Then, to Nagisa's surprise, she called from the table, "Momomi. Who put this cafe here?"

"Spica," she replied in a clipped tone, "It was an idea we had for a while. Now that the Etoile is from Spica, someone finally paid attention."

"This came out of student council funds? I never heard about it…" Miyuki said.

"You weren't supposed to," Momomi responded.

She turned on her heel and left toward the back room.


	4. Chapter 4: From Momomi's Mouth

**Chapter 4: From Momomi's Mouth**

The next day, the wind blew through the bare tree branches. Shizuma had received a text message during school. After she got out of French class, she made her way toward the stables. Amane could be seen in the distance, practicing on the race track. As Shizuma walked, her phone continued to buzz insistently. She wasn't in a very good mood. She wasn't looking forward to seeing the person she was about to meet.

When she arrived in front of the stables, she saw both Kaname and Momomi, waiting by the white fence made of wood slats surrounding the pasture. Shizuma sighed and shook her head. She didn't have time for this.

"Hey," she yelled over to them, "I got your text messages already-what do you want?"

Shizuma finally reached the fence. The two women looked a little too relaxed. They wore their usual cheshire grins.

Kaname looked up at Shizuma, "Momomi and I just thought you'd want to know a little more about Aoi Nagisa before you invest your time…"

Shizuma froze. She remembered the things they had done to Hikari and wondered if she needed to leave right now to go find Nagisa and make sure she was safe. _What did they do? What if she's in danger?_ Shizuma worried.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The two women chuckled. It was visible that the normally unshakeable Shizuma-sama was nervous. Then Kaname responded in the sweetest tone she could muster, "We didn't think an ex-Etoile would want to be seen with poverty-stricken trash."

Momomi added, "Mm. Nagisa's parents are divorced now. A broke, single father. A drunk, from what I've heard. A shabby home. In Kabukicho, Tokyo of all places..."

"Ah, the red-light district..." Kaname continued, "...and a dangerous part of town. Could be bad for your reputation, Shizuma."

"Now you know the real reason Nagisa didn't go home over summer break!" Momomi sang.

"Stop!" Shizuma spat, and kicked a snowy stone toward the fence post. She balled her hands into tight fists at her sides. She took a few steps toward Momomi, until their faces were within grazing distance. "I can make you regret mocking Nagisa in front of me," she threatened.

"I can make you regret you ever made that threat," Momomi snarled.

Shizuma swallowed and stepped back. Momomi was right. As much as Shizuma wanted to kick their asses, the truth was that if word got out, it wouldn't only damage Shizuma's reputation for her future school, it would damage Miator's reputation. Shizuma didn't want to take Miator down with her.

During the scuffle, from the racetrack Amane could hear some voices coming from the pasture area. She turned Star Bride around, "Let's go check it out," she said, and kicking up dust and snow, they rode in the direction of the sounds. When she was able to make out who the figures were, Amane thought it best to make herself inconspicuous. In a wooded area with plenty of trees and shrubbery, she climbed off of Star Bride and roped the horse loosely to a tree. Quietly, she made her way toward the pasture, trying not to crunch snow too loudly beneath her boots. As she got closer, she could see an angry, red Shizuma ready to pummel Momomi.

"—You know what, maybe I don't care so much about reputation after all!" Shizuma provoked. Drawing her fist back, she prepared to jab Momomi in the jaw. Then, suddenly, her jab broke in mid air, and she felt a strong force holding her fist back. It held her back with great tension.

"Shizuma. Let this go," a voice said.

Shizuma's entire body had flooded with adrenaline. She looked to her right to see where the voice was coming from. Reality had become a blur, but as it rematerialized, she realized that Amane was the one standing there with her own hand clenched around her fist. Once she could see Shizuma had backed down, Amane dropped her hand and narrowed her eyes at Momomi and Kaname. "What are you two doing?"

But Amane knew it was nothing good. They only smirked, and offered no answer. "We're so sorry to have disturbed you, Etoile-sama," Kaname apologized in an ironic tone to Amane.

Then, the two walked away. When they reached the main path leading back to the Strawberry Dorms, and Momomi made sure no one was around to hear, she whispered to Kaname, "I will be the first to talk Hanazono Shizuma out of $100,000." With that, she began to cough violently and Kaname took her in her arms, "Momomi! What is it? Are you okay?" Then, as the coughing racked her body, Momomi began to vomit up a white, translucent liquid with what appeared to be flecks of silver in it. The substance reminded Kaname of nail polish. "I've never been better," Momomi said, grinning and wiping her face.


	5. Chapter 5: Don't Look at Me

**Chapter 5: Don't Look at Me**

After the encounter with Momomi and Kaname, Shizuma ran as fast as she could back to the Strawberry Dorms. _My Nagisa, please be okay!_ The trees and surrounding scenery were reduced to nothing more than a blur as Shizuma whisked by. She ran up the stairs in the Miator dorms and stopped to catch her breath when she reached Nagisa's door. She paused, panting and grabbing the stitch in her side. Then, as soon as she could manage, she threw open the door. "Nagisa!"

Tamao and Nagisa, who had both been sitting at their desks studying, looked up immediately.

"Don't you knock?" Tamao asked irritably.

Nagisa stood up, "Shizuma-sama! What—"

But, before Nagisa could finish her question, Shizuma had pounced on her, and the two women fell over Nagisa's desk chair. Shizuma had not been fazed by the fact they were now lying in an awkward position on the floor. She grabbed Nagisa's hand, "Nagisa, you're okay!" and she pressed her forehead against Nagisa's. Shizuma's eyes were full of concern. Nagisa seemed very surprised by the ambush. "Shizuma-sama…" she blushed at the sudden contact and the unabashed snuggling in front of Tamao, "…of course I am okay."

Shizuma only squeezed the smaller woman's hand even tighter. Her breathing was still shallow. Nagisa took Shizuma's chin in her hand, and asked, "Have you seen that American show called Seinfeld?" Nagisa continued, "Sometimes you remind me of that one guy who bursts through Jerry's door all the time."

Shizuma looked at Nagisa blankly at first, but then she began to laugh in that way that made Nagisa's heart melt. "See, everything is okay," Nagisa said.

Tamao interrupted their snuggle session. "Why are you so worried about Nagisa?"

Shizuma looked up at Tamao, then brought herself to a standing position. She held out her hand to help Nagisa off the floor.

"Tamao-san. I need to speak to Nagisa in private," Shizuma replied.

"That's what I was afraid of," Tamao said, "If you need some tea, there is still some hot water left in the electric kettle on my desk. I'm going for a walk."

Nagisa walked over to Tamao, "Tamao-chan—"

But Tamao shook her head, "It's fine, Nagisa-chan. Don't worry about me." And with that, she shut the door behind her.

Shizuma pulled Nagisa close and stared into her eyes. The quiet embraced them. For Nagisa, when Shizuma looked at her this way, time always seemed to come to a standstill. Shizuma would always be able to make her heart skip beats. She felt the butterflies in her stomach now. And then, Shizuma brushed her lips against Nagisa's. "Shizuma…" Nagisa whispered. Then Nagisa blinked and shook her head, returning to reality—she had almost forgotten! She wanted to know why Shizuma had burst into the room so worried and out of breath. "Shizuma-! Why were you in such a hurry to see me?"

Shizuma had still been basking in the feeling of having her arms full of Nagisa and the warmth of their closeness. "Huh?" Then she pulled away a bit so that she could look at Nagisa better, "Right. It's—it's nothing I want you to worry about."

Nagisa appeared unsatisfied with the answer. "I want to know what happened. You said we were going to be honest with each other, Shizuma."

Shizuma sighed and then nodded. She didn't want to tell Nagisa the things that Momomi and Kaname had said. What if they had been untrue? And even if they were true, what if their knowing would make Nagisa feel terrible? But, Nagisa was right, and she had promised to be honest and open. She would have to tell the truth about what occurred. And then, she guided Nagisa to sit down on the bed. She told Nagisa everything that Momomi and Kaname had told her. When Shizuma finished, Nagisa was completely quiet. Her body temperature was gradually increasing and her face flushed. She stood up, ran to her window and began to cry.

Shizuma walked over to her and touched her shoulder gently, "Nagisa, my love—"

"Just go!" Nagisa cried suddenly. The response sounded hurt and angry. Shizuma was shocked. But Nagisa continued to cling to the blue curtains and cry with her face buried in them. She felt too embarrassed to face her girlfriend. Shizuma began to protest.

"Just go, I said! I get it—once again, I'm not good enough for you. I'll never be like the other girls from Astrea Hill!" Nagisa spun around and pointed at the door.

But Shizuma pleaded. "Nagisa, please. I love you. Don't—"

"I said get out!"

Shizuma's own eyes began to tear up and she felt helpless because her girlfriend wouldn't listen. She just knew she shouldn't have told Nagisa about what had happened. This is exactly what Momomi and Kaname would have wanted. They were winning. Couldn't Nagisa see that?

"Don't you trust me?" Shizuma whispered. She looked down and a tear rolled down her cheek, landing on the carpet. She grabbed the door handle and shut it softly behind her, then angrily made a mad dash back to her own room.


	6. Chapter 6: Miyuki's Part

**Chapter 6: Miyuki's Part**

When Shizuma had returned to her room, she opened the door, looking defeated. Shuffling in and wiping a stray tear from her eye, she said nothing to Miyuki and grabbed her bathrobe. Miyuki knew this mood very well, and she also knew it was best not to say a word when Shizuma was like this, unless she wanted to see the furniture flying around the room. Miyuki took a deep breath, and Shizuma shut the door to the bathroom. The only sounds that could be heard were the creaking of the shower handle as it was being turned, and the water falling from the showerhead.

Later, Shizuma returned in her favorite revealing black nightgown. A towel was wrapped around her shoulders to catch the water from her beautiful, damp locks. Although it was difficult to remain quiet, Miyuki still said nothing. From that point on, Shizuma began pacing the room, and continued to do so for about ten full minutes. Miyuki patiently tried to read, but every time Shizuma stepped in a certain spot, the wooden floor would creak in the same place. After the continuous back-and-forth, Miyuki had memorized when the creaking sound was going to occur. Finally she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Shizuma! For crying out-!"

Suddenly, Shizuma stopped in the middle of her pacing. Her head was down, and some wet locks of hair drooped over her face. _She's gorgeous, even when she's like this,_ Miyuki thought. Then the words spilled out all at once.

"DO YOU THINK I CARE?" Shizuma shouted. She seemed to be yelling at the window. Miyuki was confounded, but she attempted to respond, "—Care about…?"

"Do you think I would care," Shizuma continued, "if Aoi Nagisa came from the poorest family in Japan? Do you think it would stop me? Do you?!"

Miyuki walked over to stand beside her. She thought to herself that although she had no idea whatsoever what was going on, it might be best to just play along.

"Of course not, Shizuma," Miyuki said. She took Shizuma's hand in an attempt to calm her down.

Shizuma looked at her and spoke sharply. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Knew—knew what?" Miyuki's confusion only increased. She had absolutely no context for what Shizuma was talking about. But, then, it hit her-

"Did you also dig up information on Nagisa?" Shizuma asked.

Miyuki turned red.

"Why the hell were you researching my girlfriend?"

Miyuki was taken aback. How the hell did Shizuma know that? What happened? The only way she could know— _the only way_ Shizuma could know—is if the others who had known—if the student council had- _Shit,_ she realized: _Momomi and Kaname_.

"Sh-Shizuma, listen to me. We, as student council, did our homework a long time ago when we realized you were interested in Aoi Nagisa," Miyuki began to explain, but Shizuma only appeared to be getting angrier. "Shizuma, please. We wanted to make sure she was a good person for you to be with."

"I'm a grown woman!" Shizuma snapped.

Miyuki looked at her, "You were also Etoile! It was not something we could risk."

Shizuma glared at her. "You can't judge a person's character based on economic traits, Miyuki!"

"You think I don't know that? Why the hell do you think I didn't tell you anything?—"

Shizuma was quiet.

"—I didn't tell you because the only thing to tell you is that Nagisa comes from a background which is the complete opposite of yours. Why can't you be fair and ask me about the good things I discovered about Nagisa?" Miyuki angrily smacked the desk.

Shizuma, finally beginning to calm down a little said, "You researched my girlfriend behind my back. It's conniving."

Miyuki looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Now Momomi and Kaname seem to be planning to spread information around the school that would hurt Nagisa," Shizuma explained. After that, Shizuma retold the entire story of her encounter with the two Spica women. Miyuki wished she could say she was surprised.

"But Shizuma! I was not involved with it! That information was never supposed to be shared. Only people on the student council knew, and that was the way it was supposed to stay," Miyuki objected.

"What are you going to do to clean up this mess?" Shizuma asked.

For a while Miyuki was quiet. She didn't know what to say or do. Although she did feel guilty now, she didn't think it fair that she was being blamed for Momomi and Kaname's actions. She could see that Shizuma was truly hurt and really wanted to teach them a lesson.

"We can tell Sister Hamasaka," Shizuma suggested.

"The school won't listen, Shizuma. We have no proof of Kaname and Momomi being dangerous, and even if we did, their parents have so much money…" Miyuki said.

"So do mine. My father owns Hanazono Construction Bank, one of the largest corporations in the world—"

Miyuki cut her off, "—And Momomi and Kaname can boast something similar. Their parents own Kenjou Pharmaceuticals together. Why do you think the two are such longtime friends? And don't forget, Sister Hamasaka is very fond of them…" Miyuki went on, "Whereas they think of the Hanazonos as being troublemakers."


	7. Chapter 7: Between the Quiet

**Author's Note: This one's short. Thanks for keeping up with my story XD There's more to come.**

 **Chapter 7: Between the Quiet**

Nagisa did not speak to Shizuma the rest of the evening. Shizuma, who was not even fond of cellphones, checked hers frequently hoping that Nagisa might call. The phone never rang. A text message never came through. No email.

At dinner time, in the dining hall, Shizuma tried to steal glances in Nagisa's direction, but Nagisa never showed up to dinner.

At night, lying in bed, Shizuma could think of nothing else. She just wanted her Nagisa. She wanted Nagisa to know that she loved her for every aspect of who she was. Her mind kept turning thoughts over and over in her head, _If Nagisa only knew. Part of being Nagisa is not having money, or not having a parent—and, it doesn't matter, because if these things weren't true, you wouldn't be the real Nagisa. If money were a problem, Nagisa, don't you know that I would take care of everything for us?_

Several doors down the hall, Nagisa was lying in her own bed. Her thoughts were also racing. She couldn't stop thinking about how embarrassed she was about being from a poor family.

 _Even if Shizuma-sama says she still loves me,_ Nagisa thought, _it might not be true—she might just be feeling sorry for me. She doesn't want to feel guilty for breaking up with me because my parents aren't doctors, lawyers, or business owners. It's better for me to be the one to turn her down. I can't stand the hurt if I am rejected by her again. Not after Kaori. I can't._

With this, Nagisa's tears began to stream down her cheeks and onto her pillow. She could not find comfort.

On the other side of the room, Tamao found herself looking at Nagisa's back. Last time Nagisa had stayed in bed like this, it was because Shizuma had done something to hurt her. This only made Tamao feel angry, and she wanted to confront Shizuma about it.

Tamao realized that Nagisa would never be in love with her, but she also realized that Nagisa said they would always be best friends, and she still believed in this. _Nagisa_ , Tamao mused, _I am here for you. Please open up to me. If she hurt you, I will make her pay for it. I'm so tired of her hurting you, Nagisa-chan._

Hours passed. Midnight, 1am, 2am. Shizuma was now standing at her window, looking outside into the cold winter evening. She shivered for the lack of warmth she usually felt when thinking of her Nagisa. She needed her now.

Several doors down the hall, Nagisa was sitting at her desk writing a letter. Tamao had pretended she was asleep when Nagisa initially made her way to the desk. But, the truth was, she was watching Nagisa's every move.


	8. Chapter 8: Goodbye

**Author's Note: Thanks for being a loyal reader ^.^**

 **Chapter 8: Goodbye**

It was 6:00 in the morning. Shizuma had slept not at all. When Miyuki woke up, her friend was still standing in front of the window, although she had obviously taken breaks to sit down at her desk chair.

Then, both women heard a " _shfft!_ " sound come from across the room. Miyuki looked down at the floor and saw an envelope had appeared beneath the door. She walked toward the door and picked it up. The name "Shizuma-sama" was written on the front.

"Shizuma," Miyuki said, her voice a little grainy from sleep, "This is for you."

Shizuma took the envelope and sat on her bed to read it.

 _Dear Shizuma-sama,_

 _It's me, Aoi Nagisa. I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. For all the times we have had together, I am happy. I also know I can't ask you to stay in a relationship you don't belong in._

 _You told me once that Miyuki will have an arranged marriage. Surely the same will be true for you. You know now that I don't come from a world where arranged marriages happen. We don't have that kind of money in my family. Worse, you know that my parents are divorced._

 _Shizuma-sama, I am only a little younger than you, but I know that these things would destroy your reputation._

 _As I write this, it is about 2:00 A.M. All I can think is that once again I am such a contrast to your Kaori-san. She was your first, true love, and she came from a prestigious background._

 _I know that I will never be able to compare to her. This is only one more example of how I can't compare._

 _I am sorry that I pushed you away yesterday. I was only doing it for your own good. I don't want you to feel guilty for rejecting me again, and I don't think I could handle the rejection. Therefore, I have decided to say goodbye on my own._

 _I will always love you Shizuma-sama. Never stop being true to yourself._

 _All my love,_

 _Aoi Nagisa_

-And it was signed with both a signature and a kiss.

Shizuma slapped the letter down on her desk and rushed over to her closet to get dressed. Miyuki had been standing there watching Shizuma read the letter with rapt attention, and felt rather let down by not hearing what it said.

"Uh, Shizuma-"

"Not now, Miyuki," she said, "I have to get dressed and find Nagisa. She thinks I don't want to be with her now."

"Oh, shit," Miyuki said.

"Yeah, oh shit," Shizuma said.

Fully dressed, she turned to face Miyuki.

"Your tie is crooked," Miyuki said.

Shizuma looked at it in the mirror, "The hell with it."

* * *

Nagisa had finally opened up to Tamao. She told her everything that Shizuma had told her. Tamao-san already knew about Nagisa's background, because Nagisa had told her long ago. Tamao-chan had been the only one she ever trusted with such information.

"Nagisa-chan cannot be certain this means Shizuma-sama doesn't want to be with her," Tamao offered.

But Nagisa shook her head, and repeated what she had told Shizuma in the letter—she couldn't experience Shizuma's rejection again. Her heart would not survive it.

Tamao brought Nagisa close and hugged her. Nagisa buried her face in Tamao's dark black locks and cried. She took in Tamao's scent—she smelled fresh and lemony like her shower gel.

Tamao pulled her away and lifted her chin, "Nagisa," she whispered, "Tell me what you need and I will give it to you."

 **Note: Now the weirdness is coming.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Woman in the Noh Mask

**Chapter 9: The Woman in the Noh Mask**

Nagisa was taken aback by her friend's words, and tears continued to stream down her face. A stray tear fell on Nagisa's lip. Tamao reached up and brushed the tear away. Nagisa thought about how to reply to Tamao. " _Nagisa, tell me what you need and I will give it to you."_

"T-Tamao-chan…I don't know what I need," she tried.

"Shhh," Tamao said, again placing her soft index finger on Nagisa's lips.

She sat Nagisa down on her bed, then kneeled on the floor, resting her arms on Nagisa's knees. "I know what Nagisa needs," she said softly, looking up at her. "I will make a big bubble bath for you."

With that, Tamao reached for Nagisa's tie and began to pull the material through its loop.

"Tamao-chan!" Nagisa pulled away, "I just got dressed. And besides, a bubble bath would make me late for class."

Tamao explained to her that it was better to have a relaxing bath now, and miss one class, than to have to miss the entire day because she couldn't relax and stop crying.

Nagisa finally relented, but insisted on taking her own clothes off. Tamao rushed into the bathroom to draw a bath. When Nagisa entered the bathroom, she smelled the calming scent of the lavender bubbles that now filled the tub and air. Tamao was standing beside the tub, smiling and holding a bath sponge on a string.

Nagisa couldn't wait to feel the warmth of the water and let her body feel lighter. Blushing, she turned away from Tamao's gaze, and facing the wall, she untied the belt of her silky, yellow robe, and let the garment fall to the floor. Tamao took in the precious site of Nagisa's hair spilling past her shoulders. Her eyes traced the curves of the auburn-haired girl's body down to her feet. Trying her best not to expose her front, Nagisa attempted to enter the bathtub backwards, and then slipped on a rubber duck. "Aieeeee!" she squealed, and promptly fell on her butt.

Tamao giggled and turned beet red.

"Close your eyes Tamao-chan!" Nagisa scolded. She was wincing in pain. She must have injured her tailbone.

"Yes! Of course!" Tamao said. But, Tamao closed only one eye, as Nagisa hurried to crawl into the bathtub.

Sinking into the bath, Nagisa caught Tamao peeking again.

"Tamao-chan!" Nagisa yelped, hiding beneath the bubbles.

Surprised at being noticed, Tamao stumbled backward, and bumping into the toilet, she managed to drop the sponge, which plopped in the bubbles between Nagisa's legs.

* * *

Eventually, the two were able to relax, and Nagisa floated in the bathtub with her eyes closed. Tamao sat on the toilet lid, pining after her. But, a strange noise interrupted her thoughts. Nagisa still had her eyes closed and continued to hum softly, a song Yaya and Hikari had been practicing in choir. Tamao heard the strange noise again. There seemed to be a clinking sound issuing from the dorm hallway. The sound stopped.

Not noticing anything strange, Nagisa kept humming and stretched out her limbs. Many of the bubbles were melting away. She stuck an arm out to reach for her silky robe, but Tamao retrieved it for her.

"I think I can finally go to school now," Nagisa said, climbing out of the bath tub, "Thanks for the relaxation, Tamao-chan."

Tamao smiled and opened Nagisa's robe for her. But then, the sound of clinking started again. This time it seemed closer to their room. Without notice, the bathroom door swung open and banged against the wall. Alarmed, Nagisa quickly wrapped her robe around herself, hid behind the shower curtain, and closed her eyes. Tamao froze against the wall.

Standing in the doorway was a tall figure with blonde hair, bunched up on top of her head with an elaborate hair ornament. The woman was wearing a full, traditional red kimono covered in golden flowers. Her face could not be seen because it was covered with a traditional Noh mask. Once she was able to take in the site, Nagisa was even more terrified, and she ran to Tamao's arms. The strange woman continued to approach them slowly. Out of each of her sleeves, she pulled a nunchuck. _The sounds of chains,_ Tamao thought with horror, as she noted the dangling wooden weapons.

"That energy," the mask whispered, "I want your memories."

With that, the figure reached out its bony hands and long, polished nails and tore Nagisa from Tamao's arms. She whipped her nunchucks until they wrapped around Nagisa's neck, and she began to drag her out of the bathroom.

"Nagisa-chan!" Tamao screamed.

Now becoming more angry than terrified, Nagisa fought and struggled, pulling at the tight grip of the nunchucks. She could feel the metal links digging into the skin of her neck. She couldn't gather enough air to scream.

The figure in the Noh mask threw Nagisa down on the bed, continuing to hold the nunchucks tightly around her neck. As Nagisa hit the bed, a violent gust of wind blew the windows open and snow came swirling into the room. The woman cackled loudly. Tamao, realizing that she was powerless, grabbed her bag and escaped through the open door.


	10. Chapter 10: Finding Shizuma

**Chapter 10: Finding Shizuma**

Tamao's cell phone did not have a signal, so she couldn't reach the police. Peeking through a crack in the door, Kaname stood in an empty room near Nagisa's room. Keeping herself concealed, Kaname observed Tamao's distress with delight. Meanwhile, Tamao stopped other students to borrow their phones. But, their phones didn't have signals either. She looked for Sister Hamasaka, but couldn't find her in her office. Tamao was in a panic. _Maybe I can find Shizuma,_ she thought. This was her last resort.

* * *

After receiving Nagisa's letter earlier that morning, Shizuma had gone straight to Nagisa's room to speak with her. But, when she arrived, Tamao answered the door and told Shizuma that Nagisa had fallen asleep after delivering the letter. As a result, Shizuma was now sitting in French class and couldn't focus. Something didn't feel right. It had been difficult to care about classes anyway because the semester was almost over. In an attempt to cheer herself up, Shizuma decided to pass a note to Miyuki, for old time's sake.

Once the teacher turned around to face the board, Shizuma took her chance, and reached over to Miyuki's desk, quickly placed her hand up Miyuki's heavy black Miator skirt and dropped the note there. Miyuki blushed furiously, but knew better than to speak out loud. Instead, she glowered at Shizuma. Shizuma grinned. Miyuki felt something sharp poking her thigh, and she pulled the note out of her dress. It was shaped like a Chinese star, and Miyuki wondered why the hell Shizuma had time to start folding Chinese stars in class when she should have been studying.

"Come on crybaby…open it!" Shizuma whispered.

As teacher's pet, Miyuki was terrified of getting caught.

"Shizuma, I'll open it later," she whispered back impatiently.

"No. Now."

"AHEM! Miss Hanazono," came the teacher's voice, "I expect mindless disruptions from you, but Rokujo-san, you have no excuse. Is there something you both have to share with the class?"

"No, ma'am," Shizuma said quickly, "I apologize. I was asking Miyuki what we were having for dinner tonight, and I was hoping she would say steak or crab. But, I shouldn't have been distracting her in the middle of your important lesson."

"I'm sorry, professor," Miyuki said quietly, with her head down.

"Hmmph," the teacher said, "In that case, Hanazono-san, why don't you read the entirety of the next lesson out loud in French, and answer all the questions."

Shizuma feigned a sigh of disappointment, but was able to get through the lesson quickly and with ease. Her French accent remained clear and steady. By some miracle, the teacher let Shizuma and Miyuki leave the class with the other students, giving them only a severe warning.

As they were walking along the sidewalk, Miyuki finally opened the note. It said, "So, I wrote Nagisa a letter."

 _That was all she had to say?!_ Miyuki's eye twitched.

 _*KA-POW!*_

She walloped Shizuma over the head, then kept walking.

Shizuma painfully rubbed the top of her head. "You are fiery, Miyuki. I worry for your husband."

"Baka! I don't have a husband. Now let's keep walking."

"Geez, I'm seeing stars."

"Serves you right," Miyuki retorted. "Now let's keep walking. We're meeting up with Chikaru for lunch and tea."

* * *

When Shizuma and Miyuki arrived at the café, they ordered a teapot for three. Since the café was bound to get busy at this hour, they walked over to a table and placed their coats on the chairs. They chatted for a while, Miyuki still scolding Shizuma about doing childish things like passing notes in class or leaving her underwear on the floor. In a short time, Chikaru had arrived. She was standing in the doorway, striking a pose.

"Good afternoon, fellow knuckleheads!" Chikaru shouted to Shizuma and Miyuki. She skipped merrily into the café, twirling her handmade puppet scarf. Skipping toward Shizuma, she paused and put her hand in one of the puppets, then placed it in front of Shizuma's face. Taking on a voice for the panda puppet, she squeaked, "You look sad today, detective-sama!"

"Yeah," Shizuma replied, "I hit my head." She glared at Miyuki.

"Detective-sama?" Miyuki asked.

Before anyone could respond, Suzumi Tamao came bursting into the café, out of breath. She bounded toward Shizuma and grabbed the woman by her tie. "Listen to me! Nagisa! In trouble!" Tamao spluttered.

Shizuma turned so quickly, her chair spilled over. She threw money down on the table and dashed out the door. Miyuki, Chikaru, and Tamao followed closely behind her.


	11. Chapter 11: Fight and Flight

**Chapter 11: Fight and Flight**

In her position on the bed, her chest tight and her breathing constricted, all Nagisa could see was the scary Noh mask staring down at her.

"I need only tap into your nerves and blood vessels to reach your brain, and take your memories," the figure hissed.

The snow and cold air blowing into the room caused Nagisa to shiver. The room began to swirl and grow dark. She could tell she was beginning to lose consciousness. In a final attempt to break free, Nagisa quickly raised herself up and jabbed her knee into the woman's jaw. A white substance with flecks of silver emerged from the mouth of the mask.

"Bitch!" the voice screeched.

But Nagisa had rolled off the bed and ran for the door. It was stuck. She twisted and turned the knob, but it wouldn't open, and the woman was coming closer, the folds of her kimono swishing violently.

"Fool!" the woman jeered, "With the incantation I put on that door, there's no opening it!"

"Nagisa! Nagisa!" Voices outside the door could be heard. Nagisa longed for them. She wondered if they were real or if she had just made them up with her imagination to comfort herself. She felt strange. Her body went back and forth between hot and cold. It felt like a surge of electricity was coursing its way through her limbs. She had never felt this sensation before. She was bewildered by the fact she could stand up after what she had been through. Nonetheless, she felt more energetic than she had _before_ the woman ambushed her. She could not describe it.

Chikaru and the others were trying to force their way into the room. Before Nagisa could turn around, the woman grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back to the bed. The woman's rage was growing insurmountable, "You—why can't I access your memories. What are you?"

Nagisa squirmed beneath her grip. The woman slashed the air with her long nails, sending out waves of energy like blades that ripped through the mattress, but she was unable to hit Nagisa.

Finally, Shizuma, Miyuki, and Tamao had pushed their way into the room.

"Geez! That took a lot of effort," Chikaru breathed, "It was like the door was sealed or something."

Shizuma saw Nagisa and immediately ran over to the bed, swung her fist and knocked a picture off of Nagisa's shelf, which shattered against the floor. She snatched up a shard of glass, jumped on top of the woman in the Noh mask and rammed the shard into her chest.

The woman threw Shizuma across the room into one of Tamao's shelves. Shizuma's body hit the wall with an intense impact. She fell limply against the floor. The kimono-clad woman emerged easily with the glass sticking out of her chest. Angered, and without a word, she jumped from Nagisa's bed and escaped through the window.

Nagisa sat up and tried to call out to Shizuma, but it was difficult to speak because her throat had been constricted from the nunchucks. She walked over to Shizuma, knelt down on the floor, and held her in her arms.

"You're…okay Nagisa," Shizuma tried to smile, but shrank back in pain.

A tear fell from Nagisa's eye and dropped on Shizuma's cheek. "But you're hurt, because of me—"

Shizuma took Nagisa's hand, "No. I'm hurt because of Miss-Kabuki-Freak! Where the hell—" Shizuma winced, "—did she come from?"

"Shizuma-sama, you're hand is bleeding!" Nagisa went over to her desk to retrieve her handkerchief, then she gingerly wrapped Shizuma's hand. The blood from Shizuma's hand bled through Nagisa's initials on the cloth. "We need to get the doctor."

Nagisa looked over at Chikaru. "Chikaru, please help me get Shizuma-sama into bed."

"Right-o!" Chikaru said with a salute. Together, she and Nagisa carried the ex-Etoile to Nagisa's bed. "We're going to need some new sheets."

Tamao left to get the doctor.

Shizuma lay on the bed, still wincing, and wouldn't release Nagisa's hand. "I didn't get to read you my letter," she sighed, looking truly disappointed.

Nagisa looked puzzled. "Letter?"

"She wrote you a letter," Miyuki interrupted. "She's so excited, she passed me a note about it in class, and almost got us into big trouble."

Chikaru, withdrawing a magnifying glass from her pocket, made her way to the window sill and began to search for evidence. _This job will require the rest of my crew_ , she thought.

 **Author's note: If you're still reading this, wow! Thanks! Writing action scenes is not my thing, but I hope this added some excitement to the story. It's always fun to see Chikaru. R & R. :3**


	12. Chapter 12: All Wrapped Up

**Chapter 12: All Wrapped Up**

The doctor came to visit Shizuma and looked skeptical when the girls described the woman in the Noh mask to him. Nonetheless, he promised to notify Sister Hamasaka when he was able to locate her. Tsubomi bluntly suggested that Sister Hamasaka was missing because this was the day of the month she snuck off into the woods and had sex with the maintenance man, Shogo.

Shizuma had broken a few ribs. She received an injection to reduce the inflammation and pain. Because the doctor confirmed that her lungs were strong, he believed it was also safe to use a compression wrap around her torso to heal the ribs. He warned that Shizuma shouldn't be moved back to her own bed, and that she needed to bathe daily in Epsom salts, but would need assistance. Miyuki assured the doctor that she would see to it that Shizuma was cared for, but this caused Nagisa to feel a little jealous.

Given the situation, Miyuki decided to stay in their room and share Tamao's bed. As for Shizuma, she was thrilled that she could miss a day of school, but a little disappointed that she didn't "need to miss any more class, unless the pain becomes unbearable, in which case you should call me," according to the doctor.

Tamao and Miyuki had fallen asleep in Tamao's bed. Nagisa was lying down on a pallet in the floor, while Shizuma lay in Nagisa's bed. Nagisa stared at the ceiling in the dark. The room was still a little cold since the windows had been open all day. She couldn't stop thinking about the woman in the Noh mask. Where had she come from? She couldn't have been human. And why had Nagisa felt a burst of energy after breaking free from her grip? How was it that Nagisa sustained no injures at all? She continued to wonder, and then she heard a voice, a little scratchy, whisper, "Nagisa? Are you asleep?"

Nagisa returned her thoughts to the presence of the room. "No, Shizuma-sama," Nagisa replied.

Silence.

Then, "Nagisa. Let me read my letter to you," Shizuma responded.

Nagisa looked up toward the bed. Was there really anything Shizuma could say to change her mind? She had already decided it wouldn't be good for Shizuma's reputation for the two of them to be together, and besides, Nagisa didn't want to be embarrassed about her background. Perhaps if she relented, Momomi and Kaname would not spread rumors about her to the whole school.

"Nagisa?"

"Yes," Nagisa sniffled.

Shizuma could hear that she was upset and started to sit up, but as soon as Nagisa heard the springs in the bed, she demanded that Shizuma lay still and not re-injure herself.

"Damnit," Shizuma muttered, "Then come up here, Nagisa."

Nagisa hesitated. "Shizuma…sama…"

"Come up here," Shizuma said in a more demanding tone.

Nagisa slipped out from beneath the covers, wearing her pajamas with the little heart-shaped pockets, and sat on the edge of the bed by Shizuma's feet.

"Not like that," Shizuma complained, and patted a spot beside her, "Lay down with me, Nagisa."

Nagisa blushed. She crawled over Shizuma's legs very carefully, so as to not clumsily fall on her. Shizuma fought every urge to grab the girl and pin her to the bed like she had in the past, but knew it could cause the ribs to crack further. The sheets were up to Shizuma's neck. Nagisa pulled the sheets open to climb in. The moonlight shined on Shizuma's skin. There was nothing covering her upper body but the compression wrap around her torso. Not expecting to see her full breasts exposed and beautiful in the moonlight, Nagisa blushed furiously, quickly slid under the bedsheets and faced the wall. Shizuma chuckled. "Come on, Nagisa," she whispered.

But Nagisa was nervous. She had never laid with Shizuma like this before. They had only ever done what Nagisa called "on-top-of-the-clothes" stuff. Feeling shy, she turned her body over and did her best to keep her eyes on Shizuma's face. Shizuma pulled the sheets up around them, and put her arm underneath Nagisa. Nagisa could feel the sudden warmth of Shizuma's breast through her pajama top.

"That's better," Shizuma said. And it was true. She hadn't felt this good since the last time they kissed that evening after the Etoile competition.

For a few moments, they laid there quietly, just enjoying each other's presence. Both of them felt very comfortable and would have been content to stay like this. Shizuma could feel Nagisa's breath coming gently against her neck.

"Nagisa, will you take the letter out of my wrap? It's just right here," she asked, and pointed to a space just below her chest.

Nagisa swallowed.


	13. Chapter 13: Listen, Nagisa

**Chapter 13: Listen, Nagisa**

Nagisa was a little skittish, and her hand was shaky. She kept her eyes locked on Shizuma's eyes. Her hand drifted up the cloth and stopped at the opening. She shimmied her fingers inside the cloth and felt how warm Shizuma was, and a little sweaty. Her finger tips met what had to be a piece of paper, and she slid her hand back out of the wrap, holding the paper. Shizuma was grinning slyly. She touched Nagisa's hand and took the note from her. She cleared her throat. "I am going to read the letter. I want you to know I'm not a writer, but because it's you, I wrote this anyway," Shizuma explained.

Sliding her arm back underneath Nagisa, Shizuma held the letter in the air above them so they could both see. Nagisa laid on her back and looked up at the letter as Shizuma began to read softly,

"My dearest Nagisa, Your letter has troubled my heart deeply. The reason I suddenly returned to the cathedral that day and declared my love for you in front of everyone is because I plan to spend my life with you."

She turned her head slightly to look at Nagisa. Nagisa's heartbeat was speeding up. Shizuma continued,

"You mentioned arranged marriage. I am not part of one. I refused it a long time ago. My parents agreed to let me be free in who I'm with as long as I have children to pass on the Hanazono name—"

Nagisa turned to look at her. The shadows of trees outside the window were playing against her face. _Shizuma-sama…so beautiful…_

"—Nagisa. Listen carefully."

Nagisa sat up suddenly with rapt attention. "Yes?"

"That's part of the letter, Nagisa," Shizuma said. "I will continue."

Embarrassed, Nagisa laid down on her back again.

"—Nagisa. Listen carefully. I don't care about your financial status, or my reputation. Please do not be ashamed. In fact, I want to meet your father, so I can tell him how I feel about you—"

Hearing these words, Nagisa's eyes began to glisten. She placed a hand over her own heart and felt that it was warm.

"You are right. You are nothing like Kaori. You can never be a replacement—"

Now Nagisa felt a sharp pain in her chest, but she closed her eyes and willed Shizuma to keep reading. She wanted to hear the truth. They promised to be honest with one another.

"—But that is why I love you. For me, our love represents a new beginning and moving forward. I have never loved this strongly. You are quirky, funny, and caring. You are like no woman I have ever known. So you see, Nagisa, I can't handle your rejection either—"

With that, Shizuma dropped the letter. She looked deeply into Nagisa's eyes. They were filled with tears. She finished the letter from memory,

"Do not say goodbye. And if you really want me to be true to myself, then that means I need to be with the only woman I love and who lets me be myself: Aoi Nagisa. Loving you forever, Signed, Shizuma."

Nagisa opened her mouth to speak, but Shizuma hushed her.

"It also says, 'P.S. You don't have to call me '-sama'."

Nagisa wiped a tear from her eye and giggled at the last line. She propped herself up on her elbows and hovered her face over Shizuma's. Shizuma took hold of her face and kissed her deeply. Shizuma had not kissed her like this since the Etoile competition. Nagisa's eyes fell closed and her body melted. It was a soul-searching kiss in which Shizuma's soft tongue was sliding over and under hers. Shizuma moved to get on top of the woman, but stopped abruptly when she felt a shooting pain in her ribs from the sudden movement. She laid back, breathing heavily.

Nagisa put a hand in her hair and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay? What can I do?"

Shizuma smiled and tried to steady her breath. "Just tell me what you think of the letter."

Nagisa continued to stroke her hair. "It surprises me that you would say all of these things and mean them, Shizuma-sa…Shizuma," Nagisa said.

"Of course I mean them," Shizuma replied, and interlaced her fingers with Nagisa's.

Nagisa looked up at her. "I really have no money—no name. Your family would be—"

"But I have plenty of money, and I will take care of whatever we need. And as far as my family, they will fall in love with you, too."

Nagisa was smiling. She wanted to pounce on Shizuma and give her a big bear hug, but realized she would have to save it until the ribs healed.

"And besides," Shizuma continued, "I am graduating this term. You can move into my villa with me. I'll bring you to school every day. And Miyuki can move in with us—she can be our butler."

"—What was that, numbnuts?" Miyuki spat from across the room.

"Miyuki! Good morning!" Shizuma whispered. It was really 12 a.m.

"You're a special kind of stupid aren't you? I'm not going to be your 'butler'."

"I know, Miyuki. Hey, Nagisa, did you know Miyuki lost her virginity to Amane-san?"

"Shizuma! Don't just go telling that!" Miyuki snapped.

Nagisa chuckled nervously.

 **Author's note: If you want me to continue, I will, but give me a hint as to what you think I should focus on. Otherwise, I will post the sequel and continue this later. Thanks! :3**


	14. Chapter 14: Dirty Dealings

**Author's note: This chapter is a flashback.**

 **Chapter 14: Dirty Dealings**

Suzumi Tamao stood in the damp basement of the relatively new Astrea Hill café. Momomi had asked if they could meet there. Reluctantly, Tamao had agreed. Momomi slid an old wooden chair across the floor and sat down in it backwards, straddling the seat. "I need your assistance in a very important matter," she began.

As Tamao and Momomi hardly had anything to do with each other, Tamao was confused as to why Momomi would be asking her for anything.

"I don't understand," Tamao replied.

Momomi sighed irritably. "Fine. Since you aren't so bright, let me just spell it out for you."

Taking offense, Tamao looked at her sullenly but continued to listen.

"Aoi Nagisa left you at the altar. My guess is you're probably still pretty butthurt about that, am I right? Well, how would you like to teach Shizuma a lesson and get Nagisa back for yourself, at the same time?"

Tamao looked away. At first she hesitated. "Wh—What do you mean? I'd never hurt Nagisa."

"Of course you wouldn't. But let me explain something," Momomi went on. She pulled down her own sock and revealed a nasty cut on her leg.

"See this? One night I was arguing with Kaname, so I went for a walk in the woods. I slid, and scraped my leg here. It was just a minor scrape. But then, I met a stranger in the woods. Continuing to walk, I heard a strange music. Out of the shadows came a creature, seemingly human, who was playing an organ grinder on only one wheel. As the creature approached me, I realized it was wearing a white Noh mask. Suddenly, it dropped the organ grinder. The music stopped. Before I could react, the stranger grabbed me and wrapped their hand around the scrape on my leg. The cut turned black. A hot jolt of pain seared through me, and in the same instant I felt myself becoming energized."

Tamao's eyes widened and she was now scared to be in the same room as Momomi. If the story were fake, it was creepy and insane that Momomi would make it up. On the other hand, if it were true, it was horrific to know that such a person was lurking on the grounds of Astrea Hill. Tamao's mind wandered to the stairway leading back to the café, and she thought of escaping.

Suddenly, Momomi slammed her fan down on the table in front of her. "Listen carefully! After my encounter with this creature I stole a product from my father's Pharmaceutical company that is being assembled to fight infections. I swallowed it to see if it would treat the infection. Instead, the infection on my leg worsened, as you see it now. As for me, I became stronger. I had gained a spiritual energy and the ability to steal the memories of others. Tamao, I can rid Nagisa of her memories of Shizuma and make her yours again."

Tamao was stunned by everything she had heard and was pretty rattled. The story sent chills up her spine, and she wasn't even the type of person to get scared like Nagisa did. However, in the back of her mind, she was considering that if the story were true, Momomi really could allow her to have Nagisa back once again. She, Suzumi Tamao, could save Nagisa. _She_ could be the one to sweep her away. Was it not true that if Shizuma hadn't shown up at the last minute the day of the Etoile election, Nagisa would have been hers forever?

Tamao looked at Momomi. "If what you say is true, if you're able to do this, what's in it for you?"

Momomi laughed. "Maybe you're not such a stupid Miator girl after all." She held up her fan in front of her face. "My goal is to get Shizuma to write a $100,000 check as a grant to Spica. It's pretty simple. I threaten to tell the whole school about Aoi Nagisa's family reputation. I tell Shizuma that the only way to stop me is to write the check."

"But you could get Shizuma to write the check without altering Nagisa's memory," Tamao replied.

"What fun is that?" Momomi chided. "Of course, I can alter Shizuma's memories too, so she will never be able to remember what she saw in Nagisa. For all of this, I do want you to invest a small sum yourself, and there is an additional stipulation: you and Nagisa vow to never run for Etoile."

Tears welled up in Tamao's eyes. She was feeling saddened by the fact she was even discussing this scenario with Momomi. Had it really come to this? But having to see Nagisa and Shizuma together, especially after Shizuma had tossed Nagisa aside so many times, was almost unbearable. Tamao knew that only she could really love Nagisa. After all, had it not been fate that when Nagisa transferred to Miator she became Tamao's first and only roommate? Wasn't this a sign that they—not she and Shizuma—were meant to be a couple and go down in Miator history?

"I don't know what you want from me," Tamao finally said, "But I will do whatever you ask, if you help me get Nagisa back."

Momomi grinned and her face darkened. She pulled a playing card from the folds of her fan, and laid it on the table in front of Tamao. "Queen…of…hearts."


	15. Chapter 15: Hide and Seek

**Author's note: This chapter is a little dark for the holiday season, but since it involves Momomi, I'm not sure it can be helped xP**

 **Chapter 15: Hide and Seek**

When Miyuki awoke, Tamao was gone. She stretched out her long limbs and looked across the room where she saw Shizuma sleeping on her back and Nagisa's hands wrapped around her. "So, they finally fell asleep. Shizuma, why don't you have a shirt on? Really? It's winter."

* * *

Meanwhile, Tamao met up with Momomi in the basement of the café. On her way there, she bumped into Kagome who was acting stranger than usual. "I know who you are," sweet Kagome had told Tamao, "But, Ohshibaru and I don't know why you're talking to us." Tamao was taken aback, but it was finally the weekend, and she thought perhaps the girl just needed to recover from the rigorous studies of the end of the term.

Momomi took off her apron and joined Tamao in the basement. She sat in the same wooden chair she had before. "Pull up a chair," Momomi instructed, "Just because we're in dark times doesn't mean we should lose our sense of social decorum."

"I don't have time for that," Tamao said in a clipped tone.

Momomi withdrew a deck of playing cards from her apron and began to shuffle them. "My, my, Tamao-san, you're in a huff." Momomi stacked the cards in the middle of the table. Tamao slammed her hands down. "What the hell happened yesterday?! You told me Nagisa wouldn't get hurt!"

Momomi looked up and smiled softly. She was now fanning herself. "Did I? I meant that she won't incur any _serious_ injuries."

"That woman could have killed Nagisa! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Momomi threw her head back in laughter. " _That woman,_ you say?"

Then, Momomi placed a hand over her own face. She began to clutch her face so hard, Tamao thought was trying to crush it. It was clear that the woman had lost her mind. But, what followed was completely unexpected. What appeared to be white wisps of smoke materialized and hardened around Momomi's face. Two black wisps adhered themselves above her head like painted eyebrows that were too high up. Red lipstick, like a blush began to appear on the mask's hardened lips. There were tiny holes for eyes and a place to breathe for the mouth.

With a sharp intake of breath, Tamao stumbled backwards, stepping in a puddle that had formed from a leaky pipe.

"Y—-you're her!" Tamao spluttered in disbelief.

"Very good," came a voice. But, the voice was different from Momomi's. It contained a deeper timber and though Tamao could no longer see Momomi's facial expressions, she could hear her smiling.

"I thrive on stealing peoples' memories, Tamao-san. They increase my energy. Kagome's memories were tasty, but my Kaname's were even more delicious. The best part is, I get to choose which memories I take, and I replace them with bad memories from my past."

Tamao made no hesitation to run to the stairway. But, Momomi suddenly appeared in front of her and snatched her by the throat. "It's not polite to leave without saying goodbye," she began, "Now, tell me why the hell I can't access the memories of Aoi Nagisa. How can that brainless bitch from the slums of Tokyo be blocking me?"

Tamao's mind went to the red ribbon she had given Nagisa some time ago. Nagisa never wore it on her wrist anymore, but she often tied it in her hair. Yet, how could it be such a strong charm?

Tamao spit in the face of the mask. "I have no idea! Now let me go!"

* * *

Momomi angrily tightened her grip on Tamao's throat. With her other hand, she took a handkerchief and wiped off the spit. "You know, for a Suzumi, you have the manners of an Aoi," she mocked, "You're coming with me." She dragged Tamao and they stopped at a corner of the basement where there was an outline on the floor with a handle. It seemed to be a trapdoor. Momomi bent down and pulled the metal handle. The heavy door fell open and Momomi pushed Tamao down a steep flight of stairs. When Tamao emerged, she thought she was inside of a cave. Sitting before her, her eyes met those of none other than Kaname Kenjou. The woman was bound to a chair and her mouth was duct taped. "Hello my darling!" Momomi sang to Kaname. Tamao was terrified to the point of paralysis—her feet would not even allow her to move in an attempt to escape.

"Kaname, my sweet, you get to leave now. I'm tired of eating the same thing over and over," Momomi whined. Then, she began to untie her girlfriend. When the ropes fell away, it was clear they had left indentations on Kaname's skin. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! HELP!" Kaname screamed.

Suddenly, a hand appeared, pulled on a chain, and a lightbulb flickered above Kaname's head, revealing a familiar face. "Nani? I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kenjou-san!" It was Sister Hamasaka. She grabbed Kaname's shoulders and pushed her hard into the back of the chair. Momomi was pleased. She went over to Sister Hamasaka, opened her fan, and ran it up the thigh of the older woman. "Don't worry, Sister. I just have to take her most current memories so she'll forget all of this," Momomi declared. With that, she swiveled around to grab onto Kaname's arms, digging in with her nails. In a short time, tiny silver strands began to issue from Kaname's temples and they floated toward Momomi's mask and were absorbed there. Momomi inhaled and shuddered with excitement.

Kaname blinked. "Where am I?" she asked, confounded, "Are we playing hide-and-seek?"

Momomi stepped over and nuzzled Kaname's cheek with her cold Noh mask. "Yes, my darling. We're playing hide-and-seek, and I found you. Head back to our room, and I'll see you soon. The game is over."

 **Author's note: Geez, why do our characters keep getting pushed around?! Don't worry, there's a lighter chapter coming.**


	16. Chapter 16: Transaction

**Author's note: This is the final chapter for this story. I will be starting a second SP! fanfiction with a different story arc, but some of this story will carry over.**

 **Chapter 16: Transaction**

Shizuma woke up just before lunchtime to an empty bed. Nagisa was probably in class now. Shizuma reached for Nagisa's pillow and inhaled the flowery scent her hair left behind. She closed her eyes and smiled in spite of her injuries. Then, the buzzing of her cellphone delivering a text message interrupted her thoughts. She carefully rolled over to check the message. It was from Momomi, and it simply said, "Open the door."

Reading this, Shizuma raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the woman's strange communication style. But, she got up slowly from the bed anyway and threw on one of Nagisa's roomy night shirts. The picture of the teddy bear on the nightshirt reminded her of Ohshibaru. Having made herself more presentable, Shizuma opened the door, and there stood Momomi.

"I was afraid it was you," Shizuma sighed. She dropped the door and headed back to Nagisa's bed. "What do you want?" She stuck a pinky in her ear and yawned at Momomi.

"Now, Shizuma-sama, is that any way to greet a fellow member of the Student Council?"

Shizuma flicked the earwax in Momomi's direction. "Yes."

Momomi's eye twitched irritably, but she tried to keep her voice steady. "I heard you were ill, and you weren't in French class, so I came to visit."

"Uh-huh," Shizuma said, "As you can see, I'm really busy with…whatever, so…"

"Oh, don't be silly Shizuma-sama. I came also to apologize, and I won't stay long."

"Apologize?" Shizuma was now wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yes, for the things I said about Nagisa."

"You know, the best way for you to apologize would be to stop treating people like little pawns in what you see as your game."

Momomi looked downcast. Shizuma was surprised by the softened expression.

"I know," Momomi said quietly, "You're right. I just—I've been having a hard time lately. You know my Kaname-san has lost her memory, and now at night she only remembers horrific things."

"No. I didn't know that. I'm sorry to hear. What happened to her?" Shizuma suddenly found herself attentive.

"The doctor isn't sure," Momomi explained. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "And, he said we could send Kaname to a specialist in America, but the price of a specialist, including airfare would cost $100,000 by the time they ran all the tests on her."

Shizuma looked startled.

"The thing is," Momomi sniffled, "Both of our trust funds are dried up right now, so we can't afford to send her to a specialist, and our parents will be enraged if we ask for more money."

While she found herself feeling sorry for the girl—one of the meanest individuals she'd ever met—Shizuma wanted to hit her over the head and remind her that she and Kaname had just made fun of Nagisa's family for not having things like money or trust funds. Shizuma sighed heavily. She handed Momomi a tissue.

"Shizuma-sama, could you find it in your heart to loan us the money?" Momomi asked.

Shizuma's jaw dropped. She grasped for words, but they escaped her. Momomi was looking at her expectantly. Shizuma was looking around the room, as if she'd find the words she was looking for, hiding somewhere.

"Shizuma-sama?" Momomi asked sadly. "I…see. I understand…"

"No, that's not—" Shizuma started before she knew what she was going to say. "Look, if that happened to Nagisa, I'd be—"

Momomi waited for her to finish.

"—I mean, $100,000 is a lot of money to borrow, Momomi-san," she finally said.

"But you can count on us to pay it back in full. If you and Nagisa were in this situation, we would put our differences aside and help you without question," Momomi claimed.

Shizuma was pretty sure that wasn't true. She grabbed Momomi by the arm. The contact was not gentle. "Do you swear to never utter a word about Nagisa's family or try to ruin her reputation at Astrea Hill? And can I count on you two to not start the rumor you threatened the other day?"

Momomi looked her in the eye with determination. "I promise we will not share any of the information we found out about Nagisa, or hurt her reputation in any way."

"Good," Shizuma said, letting go of her arm. Then, Shizuma reached under the bed to retrieve a small, black leather bag. She withdrew a checkbook from it.

"How do you spell your last name?" she asked.

"Actually, Shizuma-sama, if you could make out the check to Spica's Girls' Institute, that would be great."

Shizuma dropped her pen. "What? Spica?!"

Momomi pressed her hands together, and pleaded, "Yes, Shizuma-sama. This way, my parents won't know I had to ask for money and I can just withdraw it from the Student Council's account."

Shizuma felt extremely uncomfortable with this idea. She felt it in her gut. But, a very strong pain medication was coursing its way through her system. She shook off the feeling, thinking instead of what a relief it would be to have Kaname and Momomi leave Nagisa alone.

"Spica would wonder where the deposit went," Shizuma objected slightly.

"They won't. Amane and Hikari's families are making a generous donation to Spica Girls' Institute in honor of their engagement. This will more than replace the money I will withdraw."

 _Ah, the hell with it_ , Shizuma thought, _I'm graduating anyway_. _Not my problem._ She signed off on the check, ripped it out of the book, and handed it over to Momomi. "Do not breathe a word to anyone about this transaction."

 **Author's note: Thanks for keeping up with this story! My second story will be up soon. Please check it out!**


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